Disposable Lid with Integrated Straw-type Mouthpiece, Finger Indentations and Pressure Equalization Valve to Fit Standard Sized Disposable Drinking Cups

ABSTRACT

A lid for a drinking cup that combines a straw and a lid (hereafter referred to as a straw-lid) and which comprises an integrated straw-type mouthpiece portion as a primary feature for the purpose of eliminating the traditional drinking straw. The lid also comprises finger indentations to promote stability while tipping the cup forward to drink from the integrated straw-type mouthpiece, and a pressure equalization valve to encourage ease of flow and prevent a vacuum. The lid is fitted to the top of a variety of standard sized disposable or reusable cups and is constructed of disposable or reusable materials, particularly polymeric by method of thermoforming or injection molding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lid that comprises a straw portionintegrated into and rising up from the surface of the lid platform withno descending portion. The intention of the present invention is tocombine a straw and lid (hereafter may be referred to as a straw-lid) toeliminate the need for a separate straw for drinking beverages fromcups. The straw-lid is attached securely to a cup opening with theleak-proof feature comprising a contour crease and band seal below therolled edge of the lid rim. The straw-lid is further secured for use byway of finger indentations located on the top side of the lid platformwhich encourage the user to hold the straw-lid in place while tippingthe cup containing the beverage toward the mouth to drink withconfidence. A pressure equalization valve integrated into the top of thestraw-lid promotes air flow and continuous drinking while the opening inthe straw tip of the mouthpiece is covered. The straw-lid ismanufactured by method of thermoforming or injection molding in a mannerwhich allows the height of the straw portion of the lid to be secure andstable.

Description of Related Art

Hollow tubes, known as straws, have been used for drinking beveragessince ancient times, originally made from reeds or hollow grasses. Asrecent as 1888 when Marvin Stone patented an 8½″ long paper straw,straws have become a staple in consuming beverages. Since WWII, with theexpanded use of petroleum products, plastic straws have gained inpopularity and currently make up the bulk of straw usage. It isestimated that hundreds of millions of straws, mostly plastic, are usedand discarded daily in the United States alone. Unfortunately, moststraws are not recyclable and end up in waterways and landfills wherethey are mistaken for food by marine and wildlife. This tragedy has ledto concerns from environmental groups and resulted in currentlegislation to eliminate straws altogether or to find creativealternatives to plastic straws.

While alternatives to plastic straws include returning to the originalpatented paper versions, other materials are being chosen for theircompostable or biodegradable properties. Reusable versions are presentedas well, such as metal or silicon, which are subject to harboringbacteria from inadequate cleaning. Still, regardless of the material,the straw shape basically remains the same and it still resembles a foodsource to marine and wildlife when discarded in their environments.

The straw is a long, hollow tube that generally extends to the bottom ofa drinking cup and protrudes a length above the top of the cup. Thisplacement results in resistance from the bottom of the cup while anindividual is sipping from the upper opening, which may under certainconditions, such as driving a vehicle, walking, or any other movement,cause injury or discomfort should the top opening be pushed into theroof of the mouth, the lips or other areas of the face or neck.Thousands of straw-related injuries present in hospital emergencydepartments each year. Drinking straws are potential hazardsparticularly for young children or those who are unsteady.

Typical drinking straws cause the user to draw from the bottom of adrinking cup, which may result in having to reposition the strawthroughout the course of drinking the beverage, may be prone to iceparticle jams which make drinking through the straw nearly impossible,and in the case of thicker beverages, such as ice cream shakes, causethe user to exert unnecessary pressure through suction to draw the thicksubstance up the length of the straw from the bottom of the drinking cupor to wait until the beverage warms and becomes less solid, decreasingthe desirability of the beverage.

Drinking cups that are disposable often come with accompanying lids,some with cut slits to accommodate a drinking straw, and others designedas drink-through lids typically used for hot drinks, such as coffee.Drink-through lids have been a source of interest and convenience sincethe 1930s, with the consumer often having to tear back a portion of theattached lid to drink the liquid within and discard the removed piece oflid. Later versions included a manual punch mechanism to push theloosened tab down into the cup or drink container, similar to the tabbedpunched in drink-through portion on an aluminum can for soda.

More recently, drink-through lids that accompany disposable drinkingcups have holes in the rims through which to drink the beverage withouta straw, particularly a hot beverage. These holes usually are very smalland not large enough to either hold a straw or act like a straw andoften are flush with the surface of the lid rim, causing the user topress his or her nose into the central portion of the cup lid and to tipthe head backward to encourage the beverage to flow through the hole.This is not only uncomfortable but can be a hazard by blocking thevisual field of the user. Still others offer a larger opening in the lidfor which to drink cold beverages, which are formed into a sloping rimand are prone to sloshing or spilling the contained beverage whiledrinking or moving about, and the risk of spillage is imminent.

In drink-through lids for hot drinks, a tiny hole is often added toallow steam to escape which can also help with the flow of the beverage.However, such drink-through lids for cold beverages presently do notcontain additional holes for steam or pressure as the need for suchsteam release is not necessary and pressure equalization is not requiredin lids with straw slits, which allow air to flow around the strawitself.

Still other types of drinking cups with lids and straws are reusable,such as cups for small children or commemorative items. Some of the lidsthat accompany the cups have mouth pieces that are angular and raised,which makes for an uncomfortable fit. These mouthpieces do not have theshape of an actual drinking straw, are not cylindrical or conical, butrather angular or obtuse in most cases, which makes suction whiledrinking difficult. Often, as in the case with children's cup and liddesigns, the mouthpiece opening is made in such a way that should thecup be tipped over, the beverage will not come out, which also makesdrinking from the cup difficult.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention comprises a lid, fitted to the top of a cup,either disposable or reusable, with an integrated straw mouthpiece whichrises significantly above the surface of the lid platform and has nodescending portion. The significant height is ideally and approximately1″, which provides the appearance and experience of a straw, without thestraw. In a disposable version, the preferred method of manufacture isthermoforming using polymeric material which also may be of recycledcontent and recyclable. Polyethylene, polyester, polystyrene andpolypropylene are among types of polymers often used in thermoformingand may be used to manufacture the present invention. Made as a reusableversion, the lid may be manufactured by injection molding using similarpolymers, acrylic or other material.

The act of using the present invention is to manually tip the cup, andsip or suck from the straw mouthpiece of the lid. This method eliminatesthe need to tip the head backward to suck the beverage from a cup rim,as in modern day coffee cup or “strawless” lids. The height of the strawmouthpiece of the present invention accommodates the facial featuresthat may hinder the tip and sip method of other drink-through lids. Thedistance between the tip of the straw mouthpiece where it enters themouth and the lid platform itself is great enough to allow the user anormal visual field, while driving, walking or in a room of people.

The present invention, the straw-lid, is fittingly attached to a cup ofequal circumference to the lid rim. The rim of the straw-lid comprises arolled or rounded edge to accommodate a variety of cup styles andmaterials. Paper and plastic disposable cups ordinarily have a rolledtop rim while Styrofoam disposable cups have a thicker rounded upperedge. Reusable glass cups have rounded open edges which are usually notdefined otherwise from the rest of the cup design. The rolled rim of thestraw-lid is generously shaped to accommodate the openings of a varietyof cup styles and materials and is secured by a contour crease beneaththe rolled rim. The crease devolves into a continuous band that isformed inward to secure itself to the upper edge of the cup on theoutside, while the recessed lid platform secures the lid from theinside, forming a leak-proof seal. The bottom edge, or skirt, of thestraw-lid is formed outward to accommodate removal for purposes ofrefilling or freshening a beverage or to discard or recycle after use.

Since the unique method of drinking from a cup with a straw-lid maybring about doubtful or insecure usage, at least until the user isconfident in its effectiveness, users are encouraged to press a fingeronto the top of the lid and are directed to do so by making use of thecontoured finger indentations integrated in the lid design. Whendrinking thicker beverages, or even when the user may feel the lid maybe insecure or loose, users may crook a finger up over the top of thelid to secure it in place, so the beverage doesn't seep out or spillthrough a loosened lid, or a loose lid won't pop off when the beverageor ice falls forward and hits the back of the lid from inside the cup,forcing the beverage out and onto the user. The unique addition of thefinger indentations encourages the user to implement this method,although proper fit should be sufficient for use without manuallyholding the lid in place. As users grow comfortable with the security ofthe new concept of a straw-lid, this feature may not be necessary, butwill serve a purpose through suggestion if it is needed or if the liddoes not fit the cup exactly.

While drinking a beverage through an opening in a cup lid or container,a vacuum is formed within the cup or container while the opening isfully covered by the mouth and suction is applied. Such a vacuum willcause the liquid not to flow easily or adequately and the cup orcontainer will slowly implode due to the pressure caused by the suction.At some point, to cause the liquid or beverage to flow once again, theuser must remove the mouth from the opening to allow the air to enterand fill the cup or container, and the user repeats the process to drinkthe beverage. For this reason, the present invention also comprises apressure equalization valve, which is a small opening usually positionedopposite the straw mouthpiece which allows air to circulate into the cupor container while the user is drinking from the straw mouthpiece andwhile the mouthpiece hole is completely covered. This feature ensuresproper flow of the beverage while the user is drinking and does notrequire the user to remove the mouth from the straw mouthpiece to finishdrinking the beverage. The pressure equalization valve of the presentinvention is raised on a surrounding platform to encourage air flow togo into the cup or container by means of an inward hole formation. Smallholes, called pinholes, that are frequently punched in the lids of hotbeverages are meant to release the heat from the drink within, ratherthan to equalize the pressure while consuming. This is determined by thefact that said holes do not appear in the tops of other common drinklids, such as standard slit top lids that accommodate straws, waterbottle or soda drink caps, or in the lids that are currently called“strawless.”

The present invention not only will eliminate the need for a separatestraw, but by doing so, will reduce the amount of plastic needed toproduce a straw and lid separately by half. The stackable design willreduce the amount of shelf, counter or storage space needed to maintaina straw inventory and can easily replace present lids by fitting intocurrent dispensers and receptacles for use. The present inventionideally would be made of recycled or recyclable material, thereforewould be 100% recyclable, preventing adding unnecessary plastic to thewaste stream.

Combining a straw and a lid in theory is a great concept, but inactuality is a difficult and unique process unknown to the industry formaking drinking cup lids. Cup lids used as disposables in the foodindustry are either made by thermoforming or by injection molding.Thermoforming is the most cost-effective method of producing disposablelids. The plastics manufacturing industry describes the art of formingobjects in terms of “male” which indicates the forming material beingplaced over the object to be formed, with emphasis on the inner molding,and “female” which involves the forming material being placed within theobject to be formed, with emphasis on the outer molding. Thermoformeddrink lids are typically formed with a “female” mold, meaning the moldis shaped to press inward. Any cuts or slits must be made against thehard machine surface during the formation process.

The significant height of the present invention, indicated by theapproximately 1″ tall straw mouthpiece, poses a problem to the lidmanufacturing industry particularly with thermoforming. The shape of thestraw mouthpiece, being conical or cylindrical is designed to emulate anactual straw, which has a typical ¼″ hole opening at the end of a hollowtube. This tubular mouthpiece and hole size may vary to some degree, butthe hollow length of the straw mouthpiece of the present invention madein the manner of thermoforming, in particular, leaves the mouthpiecevulnerable and weak if not manufactured in a particular way. Because ofthe shape of the present invention, the molds must be made “male” whichactually involves using a “female” tool. In thermoforming, the firstformed position is the strongest, which means the last formed is theweakest. Since thermoformed drink lids are traditionally and typicallymade “female” that would make the pinnacle of the straw mouthpiece theweakest point, even if it were possible with present day machinery. Theholes are then cut, rather than tabbed as in common production, using amulti-level double punch from a “female” mold perspective, uncommon foruse with thermoformed drink lids. The cut hole pieces are removed byvacuum assist.

The present invention with the preferred embodiments and unique methodof manufacture has the potential to change the way the world drinks froma cup, one sip at a time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a straw-lid secured to the top openingof a beverage cup, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a magnified view of the pressure equalization valve integratedinto the straw-lid, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the straw-lid, indicating theprotruding straw mouthpiece and featuring the finger indentations inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a magnified view of the rolled rim of the straw-lid, whichfeatures the leak-proof rim consisting of a contour crease and band sealbelow the rolled edge of the lid rim, in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a comprehensive perspective view featuring the preferredembodiments of the present invention in an alternate lid design.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following figure references will characterize the advantages of thepreferred embodiments of the present invention. The narrative of thedrawings is as follows:

FIG. 1 depicts a beverage cup 1 with an attached lid 11 which comprisesa straw mouthpiece 12 a pressure equalization valve 15, stabilizationfinger indentations 18 and a leak-proof rim 16. Whereas, the beveragecup 1 is constructed of paper, plastic, Styrofoam or glass, disposableor reusable, as to hold beverages typically provided by food vendors,the attached lid 11 comprises a straw mouthpiece 12 which extendssignificantly above the surface of the lid 11, the significance of theheight being determined by the length between the base 13 of the strawmouthpiece 12 to the hole cut opening 14 at the pinnacle of the strawmouthpiece 12. To achieve the straw effect and functionality, the heightof the straw mouthpiece 12 must be of significance. The average lengthof a typical drinking straw is 8% inches. Considering it must reach tothe bottom of a drinking cup, only the portion protruding above the topof the drinking cup, or if a lid is utilized, above the lid through anopening in the lid, may be accessed for drinking purposes. Depending onthe size of the drinking cup, this height may vary. It is imperativethat to achieve a straw experience, the protruding portion of thepresent invention, the straw mouthpiece 12 must be tall enough toprovide adequate room for a mouth to form a seal around the hollow tipcontaining the hole cut opening 14 while accommodating facial features,such as a nose or forehead during the drinking process. The method ofdrinking from a cup with a straw mouthpiece 12 is to cover the end ofthe straw mouthpiece with the mouth, tip the cup toward the mouth,allowing the beverage to drain from the cup and into the strawmouthpiece 12 while sucking the beverage through the hole cut opening 14at the pinnacle of the straw mouthpiece, allowing gravity and liquid tofollow physics and the course of nature. An ideal height for the strawmouthpiece 12 is approximately 1″. A shorter mouthpiece would not allowadequate suction while drinking, would create an uncomfortableexperience from the lid being tilted toward the face and touching thenose or forehead and would potentially block the view of the user whiledrinking. A longer straw mouthpiece would pose a problem with apotential for accidents occurring should the mouthpiece be pushed intothe mouth too far, misjudging the distance from the tip of themouthpiece to the mouth, for drinking from the mouthpiece while inmotion, as well as pose problems with younger children or those who arephysically unsteady.

To accommodate the ease of flow when drinking from the straw mouthpiece12 whereas the hole cut opening 14 will be sealed off by the mouth beingplaced over the entire opening, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 depict a pressureequalization valve 15. This valve is contourly formed into the surfaceof the lid 11 and contains a small hole 19 to allow air to circulateinto and out of the sealed cup to promote the flow of beverage from thecup 1 through the hole cut opening 14 of the straw mouthpiece 12 whileit is covered by the mouth and in use by method of suction. The pressureequalization valve 15 prevents the creation of a vacuum forming withinthe container or cup itself, which can cause implosion and prevent theflow of liquid.

FIG. 3 depicts a cross-sectional view of the lid 11 indicating theprotruding straw mouthpiece 12 and featuring finger indentations 18 inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Thefinger indentations 18 are to encourage the user to secure the lid 11 bycrooking a finger, ordinarily an index finger on either hand up and overthe rim of the lid and into the finger indentations 18 on either side togive added support or comfort while drinking the beverage while tiltingthe cup bottom upward and toward the mouth. The concept of using a strawmouthpiece 12 in a drinking cup lid may take time to get used to andwill provide an extra concept of security for those who may be less sureabout the procedure, especially when drinking thick, hot or icedbeverages.

A securely fitting lid 11 is a key factor in the method of drinking froma straw mouthpiece 12. Drinking cups come in all sizes, shapes anddesigns, but the openings of the drinking cups are customarily circular.FIG. 4 shows a magnified view of the rolled rim 16 which features theleak-proof contour 17 and 20 located beneath the rolled upper edge ofthe lid rim 16. The importance of this dramatic contour crease 20 is toensure the unbroken contact of the lid 11 to the cup lip or wall aroundthe cup's top edge opening 24. Depending on the material of the cupitself, the upper open edge of the cup may be curved or rolled 21 aswith paper or some plastics or may be straight with a slightly thickenededge 22 as with Styrofoam or glass. To versatilely accommodate a varietyof cup rims, the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprisesa rolled top portion of the rim 16 which creasingly tucks under therolled top or thickened edged straight portion of various cup designs.The contour crease 20 cinches inward to the side of the cup rim andextends downward to form a band to adequately ensure the leak-proof seal17 which extends in an unbroken manner around the circumference of thetop edge of the cup. The bottom edge 23 of the lid 11 extends outward toform a ledge or skirt with which to leverage the removal of the securedlid from the cup for the purpose of refilling or freshening a beverageor for purposes of discarding or recycling the lid 11.

FIG. 5 depicts the embodiments of the present invention described hereas they would appear in a disposable drink cup lid used to indicatedrink flavors, such as in the fast-food industry. The features of thepreferred embodiments may appear in a variety of lid shapes and sizesand for a variety of beverages, and may be used together orindependently on particular lids for particular purposes and are notlimited in size, scope and material content.

What is claimed is:
 1. A drinking cup lid as a single piece combinationdrinking straw and cup lid (hereafter referred to as a straw-lid)comprising an integrated straw mouthpiece consisting of a tall hollowtubular portion rising from the surface of the lid platform with a topopening at the pinnacle of the tube and bottom opening from the underside of the lid an integrated straw mouthpiece with no descendingportion beneath the lid a straw-lid with the purpose of drinking abeverage from a cup by method of tipping and sipping a straw-lid made inthe method of thermoforming or injection molding with polymer fordisposable or reusable purposes a straw-lid comprised of polymericmaterial, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polyester,acrylic and the like a straw-lid that is made to be stackable, savingshelf or counter space while eliminating the need and extra space forstraws a straw-lid that is fashioned to accommodate a variety of drinksand beverages of various temperatures, consistencies, thicknesses andadditives, such as candy pieces a straw-lid that is safe and easily usedby individuals of all ages and abilities a straw-lid that reduces theamount of plastic needed for separate straw and lid by eliminating theneed for a straw
 2. A straw-lid comprising a set of finger indentationsformed into the top of the lid platform for the purpose of lid securitythe finger indentations presenting a suggestive mean for a method ofdrinking from the straw-lid the suggestive mean of the fingerindentations to encourage the user to crook a finger up over the outeredge of the straw lid to hold it in place while tipping the cup bottomupward to perform the tip and sip function of the straw-lid
 3. Astraw-lid of claim 1 comprising an inward formed pressure equalizationvalve to prevent a vacuum forming while drinking from the straw portion4. A straw-lid of claim 3 comprising a pressure equalization valveformed as an inward hole punch on a slightly raised surrounding platformon the surface of the lid platform to funnel air in and out of the cupwhile drinking
 5. A straw-lid of claim 1 with a rolled upper rim toaccommodate a variety of drinking cup openings such as the rolled edgesof paper or plastic or thickened straight edges of Styrofoam or glassfitted to a cup rim with a leak-proof feature comprising a contourcrease and band seal located below the rolled edge of the straw-lid rima rolled upper rim that curves around the upper cup rim and tightlycinches in with a contour crease beneath the upper cup rim a band sealdescends downward from the contour crease to create a continuous leakproof seal around the circumference of the outer top edge of the cup abottom edge of the straw-lid extends outward to form a ledge or a skirtwith which to leverage the removal of the lid for refilling orfreshening purposes or to discard or recycle after use
 6. A straw-lid ofclaim 1 may include helpful design options such as flavor indicatorbubbles, logos, labels or warnings
 7. The method of thermoforming ofcomprising a process wherein the mold made in the image of the straw-lidis positioned for thermoforming as “male”
 8. The method of claim 7wherein the holes formed at the pinnacle opening of the straw mouthpieceand the pressure equalization valve are cut using a multi-level doublefull hole punch from a “female” mold perspective
 9. The method of claim7 wherein the punched holes are removed by full vacuum assist